MEMORANDUM

TO: MayorandCouncilMembers

FROM: ReyArellano,AssistantCityManager

DATE: June26,2017

SUBJECT: NotificationofRemediationofMoldonDNAEvidence

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OnApril25 ,2017,SignatureSciencenotifiedtheAustinPoliceDepartmentsForensicLabthatdamp
paperworkandatleastonesexualassaultkit(SAK)withmoldwasobservedinabatchofDNAcases
deliveredtothemfortesting.SignatureScienceisoneofthelabsthattheCitycontractedwithto
conductDNAanalysiswhileAPDDNAlaboperationsaresuspended.

GiventhesensitivityregardingthehandlingofDNAsamples,thepurposeofthismemoistoprovideyou
informationregardingthediscoveryofmoldinastoragerefrigeratorandtheactionstakentoremediate
theissue.Noneoftheevidenceintherefrigeratorhadbeentestedand,therefore,hadneverbeen
consideredasDNAevidenceinthedeliberationofanycasealreadyadjudicated.Pleasenotethatthis
storagerefrigeratorlocatedintheevidencewarehouseonMartinLutherKingJr.Blvd.isseparatefrom
thestoragefreezerlocatedintheForensicsLabthatexperiencedalossoftemperaturecontrolinMarch
2016.

ThefollowingoutlinestheprincipalactionsAPDhastaken:

SignatureSciencesobservationofmoldwasforwardedtoDPSCapitalAreaLabSection
ManageronApril25.Thenextday,aninspectionoftheevidencewarehousewalkin
refrigeratorrevealedmoldonsomeboxesinthebackcontainingcasesmostlyfromthe1990s
andearly2000s.
APDcontractedwithNorfoxxCommercialRefrigerationtosealallseamsontheoutsideof
refrigeratoronMay3topreventmoisturefromentering.Evidencewarehousepersonnel
conductedanauditoncasesintheevidencerefrigerator.Of1,629casesinspected,780hadno
visiblemoldand849hadsomesignsofmold.
AnewdehumidifierwasinstalledonJune2;humiditylevelfellwithinNationalInstituteof
StandardsandTechnology(NIST)recommendedstandardsonJune16.Remediationeffortsto
addressthepackagingthatexhibitedthepresenceofmoldusingaprocessrecommendedbythe
DPSCapitalAreaLabSectionManagerbeganonJune19.
OnJune21,SignatureSciencenotifiedAPDthatnoissueswereobservedwiththesamples
processedfromthecaseoriginallyreportedtohavemold.Also,APDplacedremediationefforts
onholdpendingfurtherresearchonmoldremediation.APDsQualityAssuranceManagersent
outarequesttoQAManagersnationwiderequestinginformationonhowtheyhaveorwould
addresstheissuewithintheirownevidencewarehouses.

Althoughtherehasbeensomeconcernregardingnotificationofthemoldissue,APDpersonnelbeganto
addresstheissueimmediately.Wewanttoensurethatwearefollowingbestpracticesandhave
formallyreachedouttotheforensiccommunityforassistance.WehavealsocontactedtheTexas
ForensicScienceCommissionforinputonwhocouldprovideanassessmentauditofAPDsQuality
Assuranceprogram.

cc: ElaineHart,InterimCityManager
InterimPoliceChiefBrianManley
AssistantChiefTroyGay